Max Gate
Max Gate in Dorchester is the house that Thomas Hardy designed and built for himself in 1885, living here until his death in 1928. It is a modest, unshowy Victorian villa from the outside, yet the rooms carry the quiet weight of the novels and poems conceived within them. The garden Hardy cultivated surrounds it still, lending the place an atmosphere of thoughtful retreat.
- Thomas Hardy's own designed home
- Victorian novelist's writing rooms
- Hardy's garden still largely intact
Best for Hardy devotees and lovers of Victorian literary history.
Things to see at Max Gate
Tick these off when you visit — open the place in Manorhop to save your progress.
- Hardy's Own Study
- The Garden Hardy Designed
- Drawing Room Interior
- Hardy's Grave in the Garden